Action Conference of Bread for the World in coperation with STUBEInternationalization of German Universities?! Claim – Reality – Perspectives

Sa. | 30. März 2019 - Di. 02. April 2019

This action conference in builds upon the outcome of the action conference „Students from the Global South in Germany: Welcome?!“ in November 2016. The participants of the action conference in 2016 adopted the Berlin Declaration of Students from the Global South on Education for Sustainable Development (see English Version attached), which comprises a number of social and political demands which need to be addressed to enable and improve the participation of international students in social change processes towards a more sustainable and just future.

The upcoming action conference in 2019 aims at transforming theses political demands and perspectives into a critical, action and future oriented debate on the government’s strategy on the “Internationalization of Education, Science and Research” (only available in German). If Internationalization becomes primarily conceptualized and implemented in order to foster academic exchange within the Global North and to improve the international competitiveness of German companies in a global market, it will not help us address the social and ecological challenges of the 21st century. What are the claims and objectives of the governmental strategy of internationalization? How does the reality “on the ground” compare to them? And what type of internationalization is needed for the social and ecological transformation of society?

These questions guide us through the action conference, where we would like to expand the analyses of transformation processes with particular regard to higher education and migration, to strengthen the political self-organization and alliances of students from the Global South in Germany and to win over institutional decision-makers for the reduction of financial entry barriers to higher education.

On the first two days of the action conference, Saturday and Sunday, the participants will develop and share insights into one of four central topics (financial entry barriers, brain train, diversity of knowledges, societal transformation). This way they are prepared for the dialogues with institutional decision-makers on Monday. On Tuesday the dialogues become evaluated and follow-up strategies developed.